President Megawati Soekarnoputri ordered her ministers today to speed up development on 88 islands near the borders. "We do not want the Sipadan and Ligitan islands case to recur in the future," Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rokhmin Dahuri told reporters after meeting the President at the State Palace. After a dispute with Malaysia that lasted for decades, the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands decided to grant Malaysia sovereignty over the Sipadan and Ligitan islands.

Also present were Coordinating Minister on Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Communications Agum Gumelar, State Secretary Bambang Kesowo and Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Bernard Sondakh to discuss the islands' development.

Rokhmin said that the 88 islands bordered on Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippine Republic. The government has set up a task force led by

Susilo to handle the islands, including maintaining Indonesia's sovereignty and developing the islanders' welfare.

Leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Golkar Party held informal talks to ease the tension between them and build a better relationship. Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung disclosed yesterday that he had hosted the meeting on Monday with PDI Perjuangan delegates led by Taufik Kiemas, the husband of President Megawati Soekarnoputri. The party leaders discussed the worsening of their relations after sporadic clashes involving supporters of the two major parties in Bali on October 25th, which left two people dead. "It was an amicable meeting aimed at preventing conflict in the future," Akbar said.

The meeting took place at Akbar's official residence in South Jakarta, and lasted about two hours. PDI Perjuangan leaders Panda Nababan, Pramono Anung Wibowo, Tjahjo Kumolo and Suparlan accompanied Taufik, while Golkar secretary-general Budi Harsono and party executives Mahadi Sinambela, Agung Laksono, Slamet Effendi Yusuf, Irsyad Sudiro, Mohammad Hatta, and Yahya Zaini came with Akbar.

Akbar said that Golkar and the PDI Perjuangan shared nationalist-oriented platforms, but emphasized that both parties often pursued different political interests. "We have similar platforms, but platforms and political interests often do not coincide," he said. PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary, Pramono Anung Wibowo, told The Jakarta Post last night: "The only two things that distinguish the PDI Perjuangan from Golkar are their uniforms and history."

The meeting of PDI Perjuangan and Golkar leaders followed several meetings held by leaders of Islamic-oriented parties to share ideas ahead of the elections. Suryadharma Ali from the United Development Party (PPP), Syaifullah Yusuf from the National Awakening Party (PKB), Amien Rais and Patrialis Akbar from the National Mandate Party (PAN), Ahmad Sumargono from the Crescent Star Party (PBB), and Hidayat Nurwahid from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) met last week, in an attempt to create a coalition to foil President Megawati Soekarnoputri's bid for her first full five-year term in the 2004 presidential election.

Asked whether his meeting with Taufik Kiemas was designed to create an alliance between the nationalist parties, Akbar said the issue was not on the agenda. "Both parties are concentrating on how to win the elections next year. We did not discuss a possible coalition," he said. The two parties won 56% of the vote between them in the 1999 election.

Pramono meanwhile said that both parties had agreed not to sling mud at each other before the elections. He said that the PDI Perjuangan and Golkar had also agreed to improve their performance in the House, especially as regards the passing of legislation. At the end of the meeting, the PDI and Golkar appointed Pramono and Slamet respectively as their liaison officers.

Police on Thursday demolished a monument dedicated to the late Papuan leader, Theys Hiyo Eluay, in Entrop, South Jayapura. The monument, erected by the local community to commemorate the former chairman of the presidium of the Papua Council, was dismantled because it had been built without the required official permit. The dismantling work, witnessed by Sentani tribal chief Enos Deda and Jayapura deputy police chief Commissioner Mathius Fakhiri, proceeded smoothly as police had earlier received the local community's consent.